Dynasty Warriors: Ambition and Temperance
by Assassin master ezio 91
Summary: Part 3 of my Wei Trilogy, Cao-Cao/Cai Wenji pairing. Having won a remarkable victory at Guandu, Cao-Cao readies himself for more as the chaos continues, can he defy the odds and unify the land. Also what of the affairs of his heart, his feelings towards a certain woman beginning to grow stronger.
1. To End the Yuan

**Dynasty Warriors: Ambition and Temperance**

Chapter 1 of the final part of my Dynasty Warriors Wei trilogy, hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: Dynasty Warriors and its characters belong to Koei.

* * *

 **To End The Yuan**

It was a time of conflict. Following the Battle of Guandu and his slow recovery from the death of Bianshi, Cao-Cao had consolidated his power within his lands. With the death of Yuan Shao, the territory to the North of the Yellow River, which had been under his control, had fallen into disarray as his eldest son, Yuan Tan quarrelled with his youngest brother, Yuan Shang, his father's favourite, over the succession.

Cao-Cao had tried to take advantage of this turmoil, but quickly pulled back. For it soon became clear that if he attacked, the brothers would put their war with each other aside to aid each other against the true threat. Despite insistence from Yuan Xi, the middle brother and their cousin Gao Gan that they stop fighting and focus on Cao-Cao, the moment he had pulled back, the two had started up again.

' _For all his faults, Yuan Shao was still a good warrior...he at least proved worthy of his nobility, at the start.'_ Cao-Cao reflected. _'Where did it all go wrong, for him, for his sons…?'_

While letting the Yuans fight, Cao-Cao had tried to reduce the power of Liu Biao in Jing, who was sheltering the one man Cao-Cao feared, Liu Bei. But they had been beaten back and were yet to make another attempt.

Although Cao-Cao had been able to force Liu Bei's strategist Xu Shu to join him.

Overpowered by his brother, Yuan Tan surrendered to Cao-Cao and together they had attacked, only for Yuan Tan to try and betray Cao-Cao. This led to the man's death, as well as the death of many loyal to Yuan Shang. Only a handful of his usual soldiers and his brother Yuan Xi remained with him.

Gao Gan had perished when Cao-Cao's forces claimed Bing Province.

Now Cao-Cao called his officers to a war council. He stood at the head of the room, observing those around him. He began to speak.

"The land has changed, we now possess nearly all the land Yuan Shao conquered, but the land that is still within their grasp...They have fled north, to the mountains..."

There were murmurs at this, for the passage North was known to be inhospitable and dangerous.

Cao-Cao continued. "They attempting to gather their forces for a revenge attempt, at Mt. Bailang...they've rallied the Wuhan tribes to their side. If we do not stop them, we will be attacked."

Xiahou Dun was the one to voice the problem. "We would be at a disadvantage, the Wuhan know the land and we are far from home...in treacherous desert where death and disease, not to mention wild animals stalk unchecked."

But then Guo Jia spoke. "But Lord Cao-Cao is right. This will be our chance to finish the Yuans and take one step closer to unification of the land...to-"

He was cut off as he suddenly began coughing. At once those nearest him tried to help him. Cao-Cao even began to move down towards him. Guo Jia had recently developed an illness and there were concerns from many, Cao-Cao especially, that being on this long campaign wasn't helping in the slightest.

Still, Guo Jia waved everybody back, still smiling his usual wistful smile as he recovered.

"One step closer to peace." He continued. "Lord Cao-Cao, allow me to...lead the attack."

There were gasps at that and Cao-Cao tensed.

"Guo Jia, you..."

The man shook his head. "I can...I must do this..."

Cao-Cao stepped back, the fire in Guo Jia's eyes said it all; there would be no convincing him otherwise. With a heavy sigh he nodded.

"Very well, Guo Jia will lead the attack, I will lead the main unit with Jia Xu and Cheng Yu...Zhang Liao, you will aid Guo Jia."

These men all bowed and Cao-Cao began naming others to fight in the battle too, including his son Cao Pi and Cao Pi's new wife, Zhenji, the former wife of Yuan Xi, before she happily left him for the Cao heir.

Also coming along to fight would be Cai Wenji; a woman for whom Cao-Cao had found himself strangely drawn too for some time. They all bowed and left the hall, ready to prepare for their march. This would be it, the final battle against the Yuans, then the North would be united under their banner.

Before they began to prepare, Cao-Cao met Cai Wenji privately.

"My Lady..."

She turned, a little startled. "Lord Cao-Cao, is there…?"

He smiled. "I wanted to thank you...your kindness and faith in me have helped me through some difficult times."

"I...Thank you, My Lord." She muttered, feeling her face heat up.

When Bianshi died, Cai Wenji was the only one who never lost faith in Cao-Cao recovering and had done her best to help him since then.

"I must ask a favour of you." He said, his voice indicating he was worried. "Guo Jia is...I need you to help him, keep an eye on him in this battle."

Cai Wenji knew about the strategists illness and nodded. "I will, Lord Cao-Cao, you can rely on me."

Smiling he thanked her and, feeling calmer about things now, he left. They soon got their preparations underway, ready to begin their march to Mt. Bailang. Also known as the White Wolf Mountain.

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End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.


	2. Battle of Mt Bailang

**Dynasty Warriors: Ambition and Temperance**

Chapter 2 of my Dynasty Warriors story, enjoy.

 **Reviews**

 **Wolfgirl2013: Thanks :)  
Shadow390: I certainly hope so, thanks :)  
**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Dynasty Warriors and its characters belong to Koei.

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 **Battle of Mt. Bailang**

Having finally arrived at Mt. Bailang, Cao-Cao and his forces set about trying to secure their camp. It wasn't easy, it had been a long, hot march and the heat was still an issue. They were in a truly inhospitable region and things were only going to get more difficult. Cao-Cao shook his head as he looked around. His forces were ready, but the Yuans had taken refuge within the many tunnels and caves of the mountain itself.

"It will be hard to dislodge them..." He muttered.

"Fear not, my Lord."

He turned to see Guo Jia, who, if anything, looked worse, approaching.

He continued to speak; occasionally interrupted by his coughing. "There are only five men of note in that rabble against us...Yuan Shang, Yuan Xi, Tian Chou, Xue Chen and Tadun, leader of the Wuhuan himself."

Jia Xu shook his head. "You shouldn't be here, Master Guo Jia, you should rest, leave the battle to us, you've already told me your plan."

Guo Jia shook his head. "Ah no, I couldn't do that...I wouldn't be invited to the celebration feast otherwise."

Cao-Cao sighed, just like Guo Jia. But he saw no other way. So, discreetly nodding to Cai Wenji, he prepared to give the signal. Apparently Guo Jia had already seen how the battle would commence and so, his army was ready.

The moment the army charged they were met by the Wuhan tribesmen who had gathered to face them. The force was divided between five garrisons, consisting of men all on horseback.

"No formation of any kind." Cao Pi remarked dismissively. "They're but rabble, sheep to the slaughter."

Guo Jia nodded. "Yes Lord Cao Pi, could you lead the army against them, I need only a small force and the aid of Zhang Liao for my part."

Cao Pi nodded. "If you insist."

Cai Wenji quickly joined Guo Jia and together the three officers led their forces on a roundabout route, taking another path that actually led up the mountain. While that was ongoing, Cao Pi, along with Zhenji, Xu Huang and Cheng Yu, attacked the garrisons.

Their disciplined ranks and formidable fighting force were too much for the tribesmen and many were captured or killed. Cao-Cao himself also led the main force to attack, while Cao Chun led another army to besiege the western side of the mountain. Before long however, the initial battle, between Cao Pi and his forces, against the main body of the tribesmen was over.

They swiftly took over the garrisons and barricaded the mountain, also defeating and killing Tian Chou and Xue Chen.

"Time for a bit of subterfuge, Lord Cao Pi." Jia Xu remarked.

Cao Pi grinned. "Of course, okay, all of you listen. Take the scattered banners of our enemies, wave them and make as much noise as you can, led the Yuans think their allies are winning and still hold this place."

There was a rush to put the plan into place. Meanwhile, Cao-Cao led his unit to join up with Cao Chun.

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Advancing up the mountain path, Guo Jia looked around.

"It's as I suspected, there are no enemy forces here...but that doesn't mean..." He broke off coughing.

Zhang Liao shook his head. "Master Guo Jia, you are pushing yourself too hard, please...let me handle this, just tell me what to expect."

Guo Jia however recovered his composure. "I will be fine; we've almost won this battle...Just beware of the wild animals...especially tigers."

Cai Wenji looked around nervously, worried about what had just been revealed. For sure enough, tigers did indeed attack them. But it turned out to be worse than Guo Jia predicted; for it seemed these tigers had been tamed by Wuhan tribesmen to attack and those men were also present.

"I expected an ambush, but this..." Guo Jia cried before falling from his horse, his coughing worse than before.

Cai Wenji swiftly dismounted and rushed to his side. Looking around she saw the enemy closing in and swiftly readied her harp. She fought desperately, strike back any that dared approach Guo Jia. The men fought desperately too, taken by surprise. But not Zhang Liao, he merely glared.

"It will take more than that to overcome me!" He declared.

With that he rode right through the enemy ranks, striking with his axes, it didn't matter if it was a tribesman, or a tiger, they all met their end by his hand as he rode past or over them. By the time the ambush was overcome, Guo Jia was back on his feet, insisting he would be alright, thanking Cai Wenji for her aid. They quickly pressed on, they needed to launch their attack soon.

Waiting anxiously, Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi were taken by surprise when Guo Jia, Cai Wenji and Zhang Liao launched their sneak attack from the cliffs behind the area they were in.

"What, how did they...this is impossible!" Yuan Shang cried.

Yuan Xi shook his head. "Calm down brother, our army still holds theirs back, we still have the advantage."

Yuan Shang grinned and readied his weapons but Guo Jia shook his head.

"I think not."

It was then the attack from the western side came. Cao-Cao and Cao Chun led their forces into the cave, having slaughtered the tribesmen that were defending that side. Cao Chun had even killed and claimed the head of Tadun, which was now strapped to his saddle.

Seeing this the Yuans panicked and tried to flee to their allies below, only for the ruse to be uncovered as the Cao forces attacked them hard. In the end, only Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi escaped with their lives, heading eastwards.

"Form up, quickly!" Cao-Cao cried as he watched the two fleeing.

Guo Jia shook his head. "No Lord Cao-Cao, do not pursue them, if we do...we'll have another battle on our hands."

Cao-Cao turned to him. "Then what do you suggest?"

"Let us return home, their heads will be delivered to us before long." Guo Jia remarked.

That drew a few surprised murmurs as well as outright disbelief from the rest of the army.

But before any questions could be asked, Guo Jia collapsed, forcing Cao-Cao's hand. He called off all pursuit and declared the battle a victory; he then gave strict orders and prepared his army to return to civilization, all the while fearing for his friend. For it was clear to all, Guo Jia's life hung in the balance.

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End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.


	3. Love and Hope

**Dynasty Warriors: Ambition and Temperance**

Chapter 3 of my Dynasty Warriors story, enjoy.

 **Reviews**

 **Wolfgirl2013: Thanks :)**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Dynasty Warriors and its characters belongs to Koei.

* * *

 **Love and Hope**

Cao-Cao was tense as he waited. The mood in the capital was grim, despite their successes. All territory that once belonged to the Yuans was now in Cao-Cao's possession, granting him the largest army, the most territory and the most power in the land.

But still the chaos continued and those that would either oppose Cao-Cao, or not recognize his strength remained. But those thoughts were far from his mind.

"My Lord?" Cai Wenji queried softly.

He started and looked up at her. "My Lady, what are you…?"

She bit her lip and asked. "You are worried about Guo Jia?"

He sighed and nodded. "Yes, I am still waiting on news regarding his condition."

Then to his surprise, Cai Wenji sat down next to him.

"Shall I wait with you?"

"You don't have to..." He began.

But she smiled. "I want to."

He managed a small smile in return and they both sat, waiting for news. In an attempt to take their mind of any unpleasantness, Cai Wenji began playing her harp. During the silence that followed, apart from the music, Cao-Cao couldn't help his mind wandering as he observed Cai Wenji.

' _She is a remarkable woman, after all she has suffered, endured...she still remains the same and...'_ He was surprised by what he found himself thinking; yet there it was. _'She is a remarkably beautiful woman...'_

He froze, startled by his thoughts, unaware that Cai Wenji was having similar thoughts about him.

In the end however, the thoughts wouldn't go away and just had to come out.

"My Lord, I..." She stammered. "I shouldn't say, it's not right, but I..."

Cao-Cao sighed heavily. "I think I know, what you're about to say."

She froze, eyes wide, her face scarlet. "My Lord, oh I am so sorry, I didn't mean to..."

But to her surprise he smiled.

"It's alright...I've, been struggling myself." He admitted. "But I cannot lie to myself anymore."

There was a stunned silence between them, before they finally gave in to their feelings. While they didn't openly make their declaration of love, they didn't need to, their actions spoke for them and when they kissed it felt, right.

Then suddenly, hearing the footsteps they broke apart, now wasn't the time for them to reveal the truth, not yet anyway.

"Cousin!" Xiahou Yuan cried out. "I just heard, Guo Jia, he's..."

"What?"

Xiahou Dun entered, more composed and smiled. "He's recovered, he should be back on his feet in no time."

If anything, the happiness Cao-Cao and Cai Wenji were currently feeling only increased. Guo Jia would make a full recovery. They quickly went to visit him and found him already sitting up.

"Ah, my Lord, it is good to see you."

Cao-Cao nodded. "I am glad that you are recovering, my friend. Try not to overexert yourself too much."

Guo Jia nodded. "I know, don't worry. I will be careful; nevertheless, I am glad to took my advice...how are things standing?"

"We've secured all our lands and are just waiting to see what happens regarding Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi." Cao-Cao explained. "After that, we'll decide what to do next."

Guo Jia nodded. "A wise plan, especially as we still have enemies."

Cao-Cao nodded, that was indeed true enough.

* * *

Some days later, with Guo Jia now recovered, they had met in council to discuss their remaining enemies and current lay of the land.

"So, we now hold the former Yuan territories, along with our own..." Cao-Cao announced. "What of our enemies?"

Cao Ren reported first. "It would seem Liu Bei still holds on to the land given to him by Liu Biao who holds Jing firmly. His force has grown too...Not to mention Sun Quan of Wu has strengthened his position and avenged his father by killing Huang Zu."

Xun Yu also spoke up. "We still have to be wary of Ma Teng to the west, not to mention Zhang Lu in Hanzhong and Liu Zhang in Yi Province."

Before he could reply Cao-Cao received word of a messenger from the North.

Guo Jia smiled. "Ah, that would be Gongsun Kang's messenger, Liaodong has dealt with the lingering Yuan for us."

The others started at him in disbelief, until indeed the messenger entered, announcing himself from Liaodong and brought with him the heads of Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi.

He also brought word of Gongsun Kang's nominal surrender to Cao-Cao, which was accepted and therefore, Gongsun Kang was permitted to retain his territory.

It was decided, once they had recovered and gathered their strength sufficiently, they would move again. Their first target would be Jing Province and Liu Biao and Liu Bei.

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End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.


	4. Battle of Bowangpo

**Dynasty Warriors: Ambition and Temperance**

Chapter 4 of my Dynasty Warriors story, enjoy.

 **Reviews**

 **Wolfgirl2013: Thanks :)**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Dynasty Warriors and its characters belong to Koei.

* * *

 **Battle of Bowangpo**

Cao-Cao carefully observed the battlefield before him. He had raised his army and was now leading them to attack Jing Province. His first target in regards to this was Liu Bei who had led his army out to meet Cao-Cao, forming up and meeting Cao-Cao's army at Bowangpo.

' _Their formation is strong...Liu Bei seems to have improved.'_ He reflected. _'I wonder how much of that is due to his new allies.'_

He knew Liu Bei's army had grown, and he likely had sought someone to replace Xu Shu, who was refusing to participate in this battle.

Cao-Cao shook his head. _'It makes sense. He still feels loyalty to Liu Bei and is conflicted.'_

So instead he focused on the battlefield before him; he was commanding the main forces, with most of his officers. Cao Ren meanwhile commanded the vanguard and had led them towards Liu Bei's forces, Xiahou Dun, Yue Jin and Li Dian each commanded a force under Cao Ren and as Cao-Cao carefully observed, they began to advance in three stages, each heading for one of the three passes within the hills and valleys that Liu Bei's army had taken their position behind, with three forces each guarding the passes.

Cao Ren carefully observed the layout before him.

"The enemy have planned this carefully." He remarked "We cannot attack them in anyway except directly..."

Xiahou Dun sighed. "Then that's just what we'll have to do...Li Dian, Yue Jin, let's go, I'll take the northern route, Li Dian, take the central and Yue Jin the south."

Yue Jin bowed. "At once my lord."

"I'm not sure..." Li Dian muttered. "I've got a bad feeling abut this."

Xiahou Dun immediately replied. "You heard Lord Cao Ren, we have no choice."

So, they advanced, ready to try and attack. Xiahou Dun reached his target first and glowered when he noted just who was leading the defending force here.

"Guan Yu, I might have guessed!"

The man observed him and raised his weapon. "Xiahou Dun, I might have expected I would find you here."

Xiahou Dun could not pass this opportunity up and so, he charged forwards, Guan Yu quickly blocked the attack and then spoke.

"Just as Master Zhuge Liang predicted...NOW!"

Xiahou Dun barely had time to register what was said before Guan Ping led the ambush unit and soon had Xiahou Dun's forces surrounded. It took no time at all for a battle to turn into a rout and for Xiahou Dun to suddenly find the forces he was leading, the pride of Cao-Cao's army, an army they expected to be numerically and strategically superior, decimated. He realized that this had to be what Li Dian had worried about. Now he wondered if the others were in similar trouble.

That indeed turned out to be the case, Yue Jin had charged towards his target, only to encounter Zhao Yun awaiting him, with a trap, in this case, a rock slide.

"What, oh...I really fell into this one." He muttered.

Zhao Yun charged in then, clashing with Yue Jin. "Excellent, Lord Zhuge Liang saw it all, now to finish this!"

Yue Jin grimaced as he tried desperately to fight of Zhao Yun, his forces had been split those not crushed by the rocks were cut off by them. Meanwhile Li Dian had encountered Zhang Fei, shortly before a fire attack was launched, forcing him into a tight corner. Witnessing all this, Cao Ren was shocked.

"This cannot be; for them to have so many traps...they must have a new strategist, for them to succeed like this..." He glowered. "Enough, we must rescue our people, hurry!"

With that he led his forces and, seeing this, Cao-Cao immediately reacted.

"Send reinforcements at once; Zhang Liao, Xu Huang, go and aid Cao Ren, we must rescue our forces and bring them back together!"

They both bowed and charged out. Cao-Cao couldn't deny it, this was beyond anything he had expected from Liu Bei.

To his relief the rescue was successful; soon his army returned and regrouped, although they had lost a good number of their vanguard.

"My Lord, I apologize; I failed to realize the traps they had set and..." Cao Ren began.

Cao-Cao shook his head. "No Cao Ren, we all did...For them to accomplish this however, what happened?"

Cao Ren replied. "I gathered what information I could, it seems this plan was the work of a man named, Zhuge Liang."

Cao-Cao narrowed his eyes at that.

"Zhuge Liang...that name seems familiar..." He muttered

"The Sleeping Dragon…a most dangerous man."

They turned to see the man who had spoken, it was a new member of Cao-Cao's army, a man who had been recruited for his obvious talents, he was named Sima Yi.

"Do you know this man?" Cao-Cao inquired.

Sima Yi nodded. "Yes, a most devious strategist..."

He began explaining what he knew about Zhuge Liang and Cao-Cao was shocked to hear that they were up against such a man. However when a messenger arrived, Cao-Cao soon began smiling.

"I see...alright, let us pull for now, regroup, recover and prepare for our next move." He announced. "I now have a way to defeat Liu Bei...without needing to fight him...and claim Jing in one move."

There were murmurs from the officers, all of them curious, wondering what Cao-Cao meant, how he felt so certain.

Cao explained casually. "Liu Biao is dead."

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End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.


	5. A Twist of Fate

**Dynasty Warriors: Ambition and Temperance**

Chapter 5 of my Dynasty Warriors story, a short one to simply set the scene for what happens next, for we are coming to a major battle, enjoy.

 **Reviews**

 **Wolfgirl2013: Thanks :)**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Dynasty Warriors and its characters belong to Koei.

* * *

 **A Twist of Fate**

Cao-Cao stood in his forward camp, overlooking the training drills for his men.

' _Things are becoming more complicated; while we train to try and overcome the issues the men would face if they had to fight on water...Our most prominent enemies in that regard still have more experience.'_ He reflected. _'However, we have claimed a strong victory and for that, we should be grateful.'_

Indeed, following the death of Liu Biao; Cao-Cao had found he only needed to wait and a chance would present itself. Sure enough, the heir, Liu Qi, currently stationed in Jiangxia, was sidelined by Liu Biao's wife and his officer Cai Mao, who was also brother-in-law to the deceased Liu Biao.

Instead they installed Lady Cai's son, the second son of Liu Biao, Liu Cong, as the new Lord of Jing Province. With that, Cao-Cao advanced his army with all the force he could muster and the child lord of Jing surrendered without a fight. The vast majority of the Lords of Jing followed their lord and now Cao-Cao had increased his army even more.

' _The men of Jing have naval combat experience too, which will be beneficial to my cause...But I must still be wary.'_ He reflected.

This left Liu Bei with no allies and he abandoned his holdings and, following a desperate flight, hampered by many commoners following him, Liu Bei had escaped to Jiangxia.

Right now, aware that this training would be necessary and come in handy, Cao-Cao waiting. He had guessed what Liu Bei's next move would be and he just needed to see if he was right. He smiled softly as he spotted Cai Wenji approaching him.

"My Lord…I, I feel...concerned, as if this upcoming battle will be..."

Cao-Cao nodded. "I have had my concerns too. Something about these possible future battles worries me."

Bowing her head Cai Wenji replied. "I just hope we can; make it through this, if, if I lost you..."

"I know." He replied softly; sighing.

They stayed that way for a while, quiet; contemplating, worrying, yet trying to remain calm. However it was then a messenger arrived.

"My Lord, it's just as you predicted, Liu Bei has made his move, he's gathered his forces and has sent Zhuge Liang."

Nodding Cao-Cao turned. "Understood, so, it is time..."

Together with Cai Wenji, he made his way back to the command tent where he called for a war council.

Once they all assembled, Cao-Cao delivered the news.

"It has happened just as we thought. Liu Bei, having finally gathered his scattered forces once again, has turned to Sun Quan for aid." He announced. "We have sent word to Sun Quan regarding the force we are bringing to attack him, yet, induced no doubt by Zhuge Liang and Zhou Yu...he refuses surrender."

"So..." Zhang Liao spoke up in reply. "It is to be battle then?"

Cao-Cao nodded. "Yes; we must be ready...remember everything we have learned, let the troops and officers from Jing guide us on the water. Remember our plans; once we are ready; it is time to go to battle and from there...unification of the land will not be far off."

The officers all bowed and left, Cao-Cao mentally began to ready himself, feeling that this would be an even larger battle for him than Guandu. But he had committed himself to this and with those at his side giving him strength, he had to keep going forwards, for all of them. It was time for battle; he would once more face Liu Bei and with him, would be Sun Quan. He could not afford any mistakes here.

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End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.


	6. The Red Cliffs

**Dynasty Warriors: Ambition and Temperance**

Chapter 6 of my Dynasty Warriors story, another admittedly short one, but hopefully still good, consider this the calm before the storm as we finally set up for the Battle of Chibi at last, enjoy.

 **Reviews**

 **Wolfgirl2013: Thanks :)**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Dynasty Warriors and its characters belongs to Koei.

* * *

 **The Red Cliffs**

Cao-Cao and Cai Wenji stood aboard his ship. They were now amongst their fleet of ships that were chained together to prevent rocking and to allow easy access between the ships.

"My Lord, is chaining the ships together wise, I mean…?" Cai Wenji began.

He nodded. "It is not without risks, that is for certain, but...We have little choice; many of our men are still not used to the rocking and their fighting would be severely curtailed if we left them as they were."

She looked around and noted this to be true. "I suppose you are right; but, if the enemy attacks with fire?"

"A most astute observation, my lady." Guo Jia remarked as he walked over to join them. "I am worried about that too my lord."

Cao-Cao pondered for a moment. "The wind is blowing the wrong way; but if it somehow changed..."

Guo Jia nodded. "Exactly, we must take precautions."

Cao-Cao agreed and passed his order along. While they filled their side of the river with their ships, while they overshadowed Liu Bei and Sun Quan's forces in size, it would not do for them to get complacent.

' _That is what happened to Yuan Shao...I cannot afford to fall into the same trap.'_ He reflected.

Turning to Cai Wenji he spoke. "My Lady, stay close to me in this battle."

She nodded. "I will my Lord, let us fight together and usher in a land of peace."

He nodded, smiling in agreement. Soon Guo Jia had spread his warning to the officers and they were ready. It was time. They had come to Red Cliffs of Chibi; where they had met Liu Bei and Sun Quan's navy. So this was to be their battleground.

The enemy clearly had a plan and they knew they would have to be careful. One mistake would see them all destroyed. But now was the time; Cao-Cao gave the order and his forces began their advance, the battle was about to begin.

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End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.


	7. Battle of Chibi - Part 1

**Dynasty Warriors: Ambition and Temperance**

Chapter 7 of my Dynasty Warriors story, the remainder of this story is gonna follow the hypothetical route from DW8 for Wei, enjoy.

 **Reviews**

 **Wolfgirl2013: Thanks :)**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Dynasty Warriors and its characters belong to Koei.

* * *

 **Battle of Chibi – Part 1**

Cao-Cao and his navy had set themselves up in formation and were ready to begin their attack. The allied Sun-Liu navy had taken up position opposite them, with more forces on the southern banks of the Yangtze River.

"Be ready for anything, the Wu army must not be underestimated." Cao-Cao called out.

Meanwhile Zhou Yu narrowed his eyes as he observed the set up against them.

"This will be difficult." He muttered. "This plan needs to work exactly. Huang Gai, get ready, you must move on the signal."

He turned to Zhuge Liang. "This better work, if the wind doesn't blow..."

Zhuge Liang shook his head. "It will, have faith. Still, we must be wary. If what I've heard is true, Guo Jia is with the enemy."

"He is but one man..." Zhou Yu pointed out.

Zhuge Liang had turned away by that point. "One man, who could unravel the whole plan."

With that he walked away; heading for the altar. Zhou Yu scowled as he watched him go.

"That man...Enough, we need to focus." He muttered. "Lu Su; we need to ensure our feint units are in place."

Lu Su nodded. "Of course, leave that to me."

The man left, quickly making his way to where his unit waited. Zhou Yu meanwhile took up his own position and gave the order. At the same time, in Cao-Cao's camp, another order was given and the battle was ready to begin as both armies began to move.

Acting according to their instructions; Lu Su and Ding Feng led their armies, backed up with Han Dang and Cheng Pu, leading their own armies and brought their boats alongside the front most ships of Cao-Cao's navy. The moment they attacked, there were shouts, many of Cao-Cao's officers readied themselves to attack; but Guo Jia called out for them to hold position.

"This is a feint, my Lord." He explained to Cao-Cao. "When we repel them, we must not pursue them, but wait for their next move. In the meantime my Lord; send a unit secretly to the south bank."

He gestured to a strange structure atop on the hills on the south bank.

He then explained. "That is their destination; if I've read this right...it is a crucial step in the enemies plan."

Cao-Cao and the entire army was perplexed but agreed and followed Guo Jia's instructions. Xiahou Dun, Xu Huang and Li Dian led their units to smaller boats and detached from the main force. Meanwhile, Zhang Liao, Xu Zhu and Cao Pi led units to attack the attacking Wu forces. In the meantime, Guo Jia turned back to Cao-Cao.

"We must also be wary my lord, the Jing troops are not sure of their loyalty yet...Cai Mao in particular. If they see a chance to betray us, they will take it."

Cai Wenji replied calmly. "We won't give them that chance, I know it."

Guo Jia nodded, smiling at that and soon, more orders were given.

Meanwhile, Cao Pi and Xu Zhu clashed with Ding Feng and Han Dang.

"If this is the best Wu has to offer, you don't stand a chance." Cao Pi scoffed.

Ding Feng replied calmly. "You will find your wall crumbling as the waves of Wu crash against it."

Clashing again and again, only to find themselves evenly matched, the battle soon was cut off as the Wu forces began to retreat. Likewise, while Zhang Liao fended off Lu Su, while Cheng Pu was securing the Wu's escape route, it became clear that they were pulling back too.

"Hold, we must remember Master Guo Jia's words, do not pursue!" Zhang Liao cried out.

Cao Pi shook his head. "We are not going to win sitting back, they can easily be..."

He stopped as he suddenly realized to his horror, what was going on. The wind had picked up, only it was blowing towards them, from behind the Wu forces.

"No, they..." Cao Pi gasped.

Xu Zhu looked around worriedly. "We need to hurry, Lord Cao-Cao could be in danger."

But then a messenger approached them, pushing through the troops.

"My Lords, orders from Guo Jia. Master Cheng Yu is pulling his men off his ship; you are to cut it loose from its chains, now!"

Confused by this they nevertheless hurried to do just that.

Zhou Yu tensed as the wind suddenly changed direction.

"What, Zhuge Liang, he really has changed the wind...no, I can't think about that right now." He muttered, before recovering and calling out. "Huang Gai, now!"

Huang Gai cried out as he sent his ships out to do their work. "This is it! Now you will feel the fury of three generations of the Sun Family!"

Aided by the wind, the ships sailed rapidly towards Cao-Cao's fleet; Huang Gai ignited the inflammables onboard and the fire spread throughout his ships. He then jumped into the smaller boat as planned and sailed away. But then they saw their plan go wrong. One of Cao-Cao's ships advanced forwards, separate from the others, and collided with the burning ships, the fire attack was foiled. There were shouts of dismay from the southern banks while Cao-Cao's forces cheered.

Cao-Cao grinned. "Guo Jia, you saw it all perfectly."

"We still can't advance my lord, the wind could spread the fire...we must wait for our detached units to succeed." The young man explained.

Cao-Cao nodded and soon they were getting ready for their next move.

Meanwhile; Xiahou Dun, Xu Huang and Li Dian had reached the southern banks, under the cover of darkness and, weapons ready; they began to advance. It did not take long for them to find the area Guo Jia had pointed out, and to see the troops stationed there.

"So, there is something going on here; quickly, we must strike." Xiahou Dun ordered.

The others agreed and charged in, taking the enemy by surprise and cutting their way through several of them.

"Enemy forces, my Lord, quickly!" Zhao Yun shouted, upon seeing the attacking forces.

Liu Bei, and Sun Shangxiang, who were also part of the defence forces, quickly formed ranks while Zhao Yun attempted to fend off the enemy.

"You shall not pass here!" He declared. "I won't let you intrude upon the altar!"

"An Altar!" Li Dian gasped. "So that's it, quickly, we must disrupt this ritual!"

Xiahou Dun snorted but soon clashed with Zhao Yun, in the meantime. Xu Huang and Li Dian charged passed them, cut through several more soldiers and soon clashed with the other two officers. Unfortunately; it was then they heard the shouts and realized that their plan had somehow been thwarted; worried by this, Liu Bei saw no choice. After Shangxiang was injured in the battle, Liu Bei quickly pushed back against his opponents and cried out.

"Zhao Yun, Zhuge Liang, we cannot stay here, we are outmatched!"

Aiding Shangxiang, they all fled and the winds died away. Seeing this, Cao-Cao gave the order and his navy surged forwards, ready to attack with full force.

* * *

End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.


	8. Battle of Chibi - Part 2

**Dynasty Warriors: Ambition and Temperance**

Chapter 8 of my Dynasty Warriors story, enjoy.

 **Reviews**

 **Wolfgirl2013: Thanks :)  
TheCreepunderyourbed: Thanks, glad you like them :)  
Shadow390: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it; well, this isn't actually the finale, there are still more battles to come, two major ones to be exact, with another being mentioned at least.**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Dynasty Warriors and its characters belong to Koei.

* * *

 **Battle of Chibi – Part 2**

With renewed vigour, having defeated the enemy plan, Cao-Cao's navy began their rapid advance towards the Wu navy. Seeing this and realizing their plan had been foiled, Zhou Yu growled.

"Curses, we've been outplayed, the wind died away...they found the altar and Zhuge Liang has been driven off." He cried out. "We're surrounded, everyone, we must fight to the last!"

He quickly cried out for their armies to form rapidly, for them to fight, they did what they could, but it was already too late. Cao-Cao's navy had reached the Wu navy and the attack began in earnest.

The moment they made contact with the ships of Wu, Cao-Cao gave the order before leading the central unit of his army, with Guo Jia and Cai Wenji at his side. Zhang Liao, Jia Xu and Cao Pi led the left wing, while Xu Zhu, Yue Jin and Zhang He led the right wing.

Meanwhile, Xiahou Dun, Li Dian and Xu Huang led their units to attack from the flank now they had secured the altar.

' _This will be it...'_ Cao-Cao thought to himself. "Advance, tear down the Sun family's ambition and drive them back."

He knew, even if they couldn't destroy the enemy here, their victory would ensure their superiority and make it that much harder for anyone to attack them, especially in Jing Province.

Already in the initial clash, Cao-Cao's army had the advantage, their momentum allowing them to sweep through the demoralized Wu forces with ease. Until suddenly, the lead forces was stuck down, crying out in pain. Then another attack came, and another.

When the attacks finally stopped they beheld their opponents, recognizing them at once. The oldest of the trio was a man armed with a pike, the younger two stood on either side of them, a blonde man armed with a sickle and chain and a brunette man armed with a nunchaku. It was Lu Meng, Gan Ning and Ling Tong.

"Well, well, what have we here?" Gan Ning taunted. "Come to try your luck."

Ling Tong shook his head. "Our plan may have failed, but we're far from finished just yet."

Lu Meng then added. "Now, face the might of Wu!"

With that the trio attacked and began cutting through several soldiers, until each man found himself with a skilled opponent. Zhang Liao for Gan Ning, Yue Jin for Ling Tong and Zhang He for Lu Meng.

"Leave this to them." Cao-Cao called. "We must hurry!"

With that the army fought on, while allowing the three duels to take place.

Finally, the detached force joined them and shortly afterwards, upon confronting them, another set of duels took place, Cao Pi had found Huang Gai and began to duel with him, it turned out Han Dang had been wounded earlier.

Meanwhile, Ding Feng and Zhou Tai began to face off against Xiahou Dun and Xu Huang. Allowing this to continue, Cao-Cao led his army onwards, closing in on Zhou Yu's position.

As the battle raged on around them, Zhang Liao and Gan Ning continued to trade blows, while mere feet away Yue Jin and Ling Tong clashed.

"You really think you can keep this up!" Gan Ning remarked cockily.

Zhang Liao snorted. "You are on the losing side here, face up to your defeat with dignity."

Ling Tong then suddenly started to attack Zhang Liao. "Aren't you being just a little premature?"

At the same time, Gan Ning began to attack Yue Jin, but still the two officers fought as a team until they had the two Wu officers backed into a corner. It was then they all heard a shout and saw Lu Meng stumble back, clutching his arm, grimacing. Zhang He smiled.

"Your form is so sluggish; I'm just surprised you kept up for so long." He remarked.

Seeing Lu Meng injured, Gan Ning and Ling Tong reacted.

"Old man!" Gan Ning shouted.

With a sudden burst of energy the two warriors fought through their attackers and joined Lu Meng. Seeing the battle was against them they quickly fled. Meanwhile Cao Pi had finally bested Huang Gai; standing over his defeated adversary; he glared.

"Your plan was a stroke of genius." He admitted. "Indeed, you might very well have beaten us, it might well have worked...if only you hadn't had the misfortune, of facing us while we had Guo Jia on our side."

Huang Gai grimaced but before anything more could be said; Cao Pi was forced to back down as, despite his injuries, Han Dang attacked. His attack was just a feint however as, once he had the opening he needed, Han Dang rescued Huang Gai and led him to safety.

Xiahou Dun and Xu Huang continued their attack, but Zhou Tai and Ding Feng would not yield.

"If you would try to attack my Lord, you must pay the price in blood." Ding Feng growled. "Not matter the cost, we will still cause as much devastation on your forces as we can, our will like that of a hurricane."

Xu Huang struck out with his axe, blocked by Ding Feng as he replied.

"Your devotion is impressive; I shall match you with my axe."

Meanwhile, Xiahou Dun crossed blades with Zhou Tai. "Stand down fool, you really want to throw your life away!?"

Zhou Tai merely glowered. "I will not let you take one step closer to my Lord."

Their fight continued as a trading of blows until Ding Feng suddenly tapped Zhou Tai on the shoulder and they suddenly fled, this confused the two but they took it as a victory and rejoined their forces, already surging to victory over the routed Wu army.

When Cao-Cao and Cai Wenji, along with Guo Jia broke into the Wu main camp, they found Zhou Yu and Lu Su waiting for them.

"So, you finally made it." Zhou Yu growled. "Well, you're too late."

Cao-Cao narrowed his eyes. "Oh?"

Lu Su nodded, smiling lightly. "Yes, see, after things went wrong, we set up our defences, not because we thought we could defeat you...simply put, our lord is no longer here."

"It was all a diversion, to buy time." Guo Jia realized.

Cai Wenji sighed. "Then, Sun Quan is gone, this battle is..."

"Over." Zhou Yu confirmed.

At that moment, Zhou Tai and Ding Feng appeared on horseback, leading two more horses which the two strategists mounted and quickly rode away, the Wu army fleeing the battlefield.

As the noise of battle finally died and his men began to recover, Cao-Cao considered his options and, satisfied with what he had achieved, ordered his men to pull back. Liu Bei had been ousted from Jiangxia and all of Jing now fell in Cao-Cao's hands. There would still be battles to fight, enemies to face. But for now, there would be time for rest.

* * *

End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.


	9. The Next Step of Love

**Dynasty Warriors: Ambition and Temperance**

Chapter 9 of my Dynasty Warriors story, a short cool down chapter if you will, just to set the stage, enjoy.

 **Reviews**

 **Wolfgirl2013: Thanks :)**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Dynasty Warriors and its characters belong to Koei.

* * *

 **The Next Step of Love**

It had been some time since the victory at Chibi. Cao-Cao smiled lightly as he stood by the pavilion in his dwelling in Xuchang and contemplated the various changes that had occurred following that. Despite everything his two greatest enemies, Liu Bei and Sun Quan, both still lived.

Sun Quan had rebuilt his army and also expanded his domain in Jiao Province, likely hoping to increase the size of his forces. He had also strengthened his alliance with Liu Bei.

' _So Sun Quan marries his sister to Liu Bei...Liu Bei gathers his forces together again and then, goes missing, he is up to something...'_ Cao-Cao mused.

It was true; for Liu Bei's whereabouts were currently unknown. But it was known he had not only gathered his defeated forces together again, but, along with his new wife, he had led them into parts unknown, but had recruited new officers along the way, building his own strength again.

However after consolidating their hold on Jing Province and strengthening their position throughout all their lands, Cao-Cao faced the threat of Ma Teng. When he had dealt with that and the following battles led by Ma Teng's son Ma Chao, he took possession of Tianshui and all of Liang Province.

Therefore, in addition to acquiring the allegiance of two more officers, the vengeful Wang Yi and the prideful Pang De, Cao-Cao now controlled all of Northern China and Jing Province too.

But he knew it wasn't over yet; despite building his strength to these levels, still Sun Quan and Liu Bei opposed him. Yet that wasn't all.

' _More trouble stirs in Yi Province, now it is divided between three forces...'_

Liu Zhang it seemed, was having trouble ruling Yi Province well, first the split of Hanzhong led by Zhang Lu. Now Meng Huo and the Nanman tribes had declared independence too and took direct command of their own lands.

Cao-Cao still smiled however. _'Chaos still remains but...to have so few enemies left. Dare I hope that it might be over before long, that peace is within reach?'_

It wasn't the only reason he smiled; for at that moment he saw Cai Wenji approaching; also smiling.

"My Lord, you seem happy." She remarked joyfully.

He nodded. "I am; to think, after all this...after what could have been a catastrophe for us...We are nearly there."

She smiled wider at that. "Of course; we can almost see the land of peace...do you think…?"

"We will see it happen, we will bring it around...Our victory at Chibi was a sign that we will be the ones to do so." Cao-Cao explained.

Cai Wenji was still amazed at their victory at that crucial moment and agreed wholeheartedly.

For Cao-Cao, his own happiness was increased, simply by seeing hers. He reflected on what he and Cai Wenji had together, their admitted feelings, their love for each other.

"My Lord?"

"I was just...thinking." He replied. "About, us..."

She tensed. "Us?"

He nodded, smiling wider. "I admit, we have not been...really open about our feelings, and about each other, for very long but...I was wondering."

Her eyes widened, a feeling of anticipation built inside her but she pushed it down.

"My Lord are saying that?" She began, amazed and hopeful.

He confirmed it. "Yes; I wish to marry you."

She gasped but then grinned and embraced him, an embrace he returned as she enthusiastically agreed.

* * *

End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.


	10. Joys of Matrimony

**Dynasty Warriors: Ambition and Temperance**

Chapter 10 of my Dynasty Warriors story, sadly short as I don't really know much about the Chinese wedding stuff and additionally, found this difficult to write somehow and I think it shows. But still, hopefully it's alright, enjoy.

 **Reviews**

 **Wolfgirl2013: Thanks :)  
Shadow390: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it, as I said, takes inspiration from DW8's Wei Hypothetical route, so yeah, he wins that one :) Well, there are still two more major battles that have to happen after all. Well, I did my best, hope it works :)**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Dynasty Warriors and its characters belong to Koei.

* * *

 **Joys of Matrimony**

There was much gossip and cheerfulness around the whole of Xuchang. Many people were talking about the major event that would be happening that day, The Imperial Chancellor, Cao-Cao, would be getting married.

That wasn't all, the part that really surprised and excited people and was the main topic of conversation was just who he was getting married too. The late Lord Cai Yong's daughter, Lady Cai Wenji. Cao-Cao's own officers were doing what they could to aid in the preparations and seemed to find the upcoming event quite joyous. Even the normally stoic Xiahou Dun was seen smiling from time to time.

One person however was not so happy and was currently venting that displeasure to Cao-Cao.

"You are sure about this now, father?" Cao Pi queried.

Cao-Cao shook his head as he considered his wedding clothes, making sure they were perfect. "I fail to see what it is you are trying to imply, my son."

Cao Pi glared. "This, _woman_. Do you really think it appropriate; or have you forgotten..."

"I have not forgotten anything, son. Do you know what your mother's last words to me were?" Cao-Cao replied, his tone becoming dangerous. "Find happiness again...and I have."

Cao Pi tensed at that but then sighed. "The example this will set, not for me...but for my brothers. What of Zhang, or Zhi?"

Cao-Cao said nothing else however and Cao Pi could see his words had no effect, so, muttering to himself, he left.

* * *

Meanwhile, in her own chambers, preparing for the wedding, Cai Wenji was nervous, more so than she had even been in her life. The wedding was due to start soon and she was finding herself fretting over every little thing.

' _I, oh no, what do I…?'_ She pondered worriedly.

Her biggest fear came from her unwanted memories; she recalled her horrific time in Li Jue and Guo Si's captivity. How she had been cruelly raped; that was her biggest disappointment, the one thing she couldn't offer to the man she loved.

She tried to reason with herself. _'Lord Cao-Cao already knows about that; he asked me to marry him, knowing about that.'_

All the same her mental turmoil continued. Seeing this, the two ladies helping her get ready shared a look. Zhenji and Wang Yi could both see how troubled Cai Wenji was.

Zhenji spoke up first. "You really need to relax; you know. This is supposed to be a happy occasion."

"I...I just..."

"Come now; there's being nervous, then there's this...you can overcome this, remember just who awaits you." Zhenji remarked.

Wang Yi sighed. "It can be scary; especially as it might bring up the past, but weddings are days for new beginnings, remember that."

She bit her lip, recalling how Wang Yi lost her husband. She felt silly having those worries, compared to the losses that woman had suffered. Still the words emboldened her and she was ready. Soon she and Cao-Cao would meet, for the wedding ceremony to begin.

* * *

Following the ceremony as they rode in the carriage which took them throughout the city, through the waving crowds all cheering, Cai Wenji couldn't help but smile widely.

' _My fears seem so distant now.'_ She thought in amazement. _'I am now married, to the man I love, I; we are...looking forwards, to a new future, one we will forge together.'_

Even as she thought that, she turned to Cao-Cao. He turned to, smiling at her.

"My Lady; rest assured, I spend every waking moment, doing what I can to make you happy."

She too smiled and nodded. "As will I, be doing for my Lord. Let us forge our new future together."

He nodded; the two of them overjoyed beyond words as the carriage began returning to the palace for the wedding feast to begin.

* * *

End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.


	11. Campaign for Jianye

**Dynasty Warriors: Ambition and Temperance**

Chapter 11 of my Dynasty Warriors story, enjoy.

 **Reviews**

 **Guest: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it, well, here we go :)  
Wolfgirl2013: Thanks :)  
Shadow390: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it, well, the land isn't united yet, there still isn't peace.**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Dynasty Warriors and its characters belongs to Koei.

* * *

 **Campaign for Jianye**

Cao-Cao observed the battlefield before him carefully. While he had hoped to enjoy a good period of peace following his wedding, it was sadly not to be. Cai Wenji stood by his side; the two of them smiling as they took careful note of how the enemy has set up their defences.

"The enemy are setting themselves up for a final battle it seems." She said softly. "They intend this to be their last stand?"

Cao-Cao nodded with a sigh. "True...It didn't have to go this start; but they are too proud...I can hardly blame them for that."

Knowing that it would take a lot to convince the enemy to surrender, rather than fight to the bitter end, he nevertheless decided to begin this battle, he knew with this, Wu would be finished. Attending the war council with his army he spoke.

"So, it comes down to this; this will be our final battle with Wu." He announced. "They know this and have set up powerful defences; but if we do not finish the here, we will come to regret it."

Guo Jia nodded and spoke up. "Indeed my Lord; therefore we must break their spirits. We will start by attacking their garrisons, after doing so we must surround the main castle and defeat any enemies we encounter."

"True; but we must not allow their strategists to turn things against us." Xun Yu remarked. "Be careful, we must expect ambushes."

Guo Jia agreed and soon they quickly formed their plans and prepared to attack, intending to take Jianye and end Wu's resistance for good.

So they charged forth, Cao-Cao led the main forces coming up from the south, backed up by Guo Jia and Xun Yu and other officers. Meanwhile Zhang Liao and Xu Zhu spearheaded the western flank with their officers and army, Zhang He and Cai Wenji led the eastern flank in the same way. Their first target being the garrisons they cut through the Wu troops in their path and soon reached them.

Breaking through into the garrisons nearest them Zhang Liao and Xu Zhu came face to face with Gan Ning and Ling Tong. Meanwhile Zhang He and Cai Wenji came face to face with Taishi Ci and Han Dang. Taking advantage of this distraction, Cao-Cao attempted a direct attack, only for Huang Gai and Zhu Ran to appear with their troops.

"Hmm, if this is their only ambush, we shouldn't worry, but..."

Suddenly concerned he gave orders for Cheng Yu and Cao Hong to backtrack and aid Xiahou Yuan in defending the main camp. He then readied his remaining forces to face Huang Gai and Zhu Ran.

"This ends here Cao-Cao, I will end your ambition!" Huang Gai cried out.

Cao-Cao shook his head. "Enough, you do not stand a chance."

Zhu Ran aimed his Flame Bow and fired but Cao-Cao blocked the attack, it was then Guo Jia rode in and attacked Zhu Ran. Cao-Cao meanwhile traded blows with Huang Gai, neither one able to overpower the other. At least until Cao-Cao's endurance proved to be greater. Huang Gai attempted an overhead attack, but his reflexes were too slow.

Cao-Cao reacted at once and impaled the mighty Wu veteran on his sword. Kicking his off he turned and attacked Zhu Ran, who by now was fending off attacked from both Guo Jia and Xun Yu. Seeing Huang Gai slain, and realizing the danger, Zhu Ran fled. Cao-Cao led his forces into the main courtyard of the castle.

Back at the main camp, Xiahou Yuan found himself in a spot of trouble.

"Well, this isn't good, we're surrounded." He muttered.

Lu Meng and Lu Xu had launched an ambush and raided the camp. At that moment however, Cao-Cao's reinforcements arrived.

"What?" Lu Meng gasped. "Curses, the enemy must have realized our plan."

Lu Xun looked worried. "Master Lu Meng, this is..."

"It's no good Lu Xun, we'll just have to fight our way out."

"Ah perfect timing." Xiahou Yuan cried as he saw the situation turn. "Now we surround them..."

Grinning he led his army to attack and soon the Wu raid was turned into a trap for the Wu forces. The resounding cheers throughout the battlefield told them that those in the garrisons had fallen and that now the battle had spun hugely in Cao-Cao's favour.

Wasting no time, Xiahou Yuan fired his bow and killed Lu Meng, leaving a distraught Lu Xun to flee. The army then surged forwards, ready to regroup. Cao-Cao looked up as he saw his army all arriving in the main courtyard, his officers gathering and preparing for the final push.

"Excellent, you are all here...These ones have surrendered to us. Now, we must continue." He announced.

The surrendered officers were revealed to be Xue Zong, Zhang Wen, Lu Ji and the Qiao sisters. As they were taken away as prisoners, Cao-Cao gave his orders and his army split into two, following the two paths that would lead them around to meet up before Jianye's final gate, which would be where Sun Quan would be.

They soon found their paths blocked however on both sides by traps, boulders and spikes.

"Hmmm, this smells like the work of Lu Su and Zhou Yu..." Guo Jia remarked.

"There is no way around it." Zhang Liao remarked. "But I shall break through on the western side."

Zhang He smiled. "An excellent plan, I shall deal with the Eastern side and put a stop to those unsightly spikes."

So it was both brave warriors managed to break through and challenged their respective opponents. Meanwhile, due to the distraction caused, the rest of the army broke through the trap and soon reached the doors, where Yan Jun and Zhang Zhao surrendered, having seen what had already happened. Shortly afterwards, Lu Su and Zhou Yu were slain and now they faced their final obstacle.

"You will go no further." Zhou Tai challenged.

"My Lord, leave this to me." Xu Zhu called out.

Cao-Cao nodded and soon, both bodyguards met face to face, ready to fight. The fight was brief and brutal, the two of them fighting for their lords, but in the end, Xu Zhu's will proved greater as he dealt the fatal blow and Zhou Tai fell. The doors opened and they surged in.

But it did not come to battle, seeing so many dead and others having surrendered, Sun Quan and Lianshi saw no point in fighting further and they too finally surrendered. Wu was no more.

* * *

End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.


	12. Final Defiance

**Dynasty Warriors: Ambition and Temperance**

Chapter 12 of my Dynasty Warriors story, enjoy.

 **Reviews**

 **Wolfgirl2013: Thanks :)**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Dynasty Warriors and its characters belong to Koei.

* * *

 **Final Defiance**

There was a joyful air in Xuchang. Yang and Jiao Provinces had been subdued and order was being restored. Sun Quan was kept under house arrest for now, but many of his retainers were dead or surrendered, only two were unaccounted for. Therefore he was a low threat; all of the land was restored to peace and under Cao-Cao's control with the exception of Yi Province.

' _But Yi Province is currently dealing with its own internal problems...'_ Cao-Cao reflected. _'That gives us some much needed time for relief, time to rest.'_

Cai Wenji sat by his side, together they sat, enjoying this moment of peace. Cao-Cao wasn't needed at court and they had no battles to consider just yet.

"I still can't believe, for everything to be so..." She said quietly. "Peace is so close, yet still so far away."

He nodded. "I know; but, we are close...The battles will end soon, I am sure of it."

She nodded, smiling, hopeful. Then, simply relaxing again, they kissed, enjoying the warmth and pleasure that such sensations brought to them. Sadly their peaceful moment was not to last. For at that moment, footsteps approached rapidly. They parted and turned to see Xiahou Dun approaching.

"Cousin...we've got urgent news, it seems; our moments of peace have ended." He remarked.

Cao-Cao sighed but nodded and together they stood, following Xiahou Dun as they approached the council chambers where Cao-Cao's officers had assembled, ready to hear the news.

As they were all gathered Cao-Cao looked to all his officers.

"What has happened?"

It was Cao Ren, Prefect of Jing Province, who stepped forwards.

Bowing he revealed. "Yi Province has united again...under Liu Bei."

"Liu Bei...so, he has revealed himself at last?" Cao-Cao remarked, surprised.

Cao Ren nodded. "Yes my Lord, it seems he was trying to secure the aid of Yi Province before we took down Sun Quan. Now, he seeks vengeance and has somehow gathered all of Yi Province together."

Cheng Yu stepped forwards and bowed too.

"We have received word that Liu Bei was able to take over after Liu Zhang surrendered to him; while securing the allegiance of Zhang Lu and Meng Huo."

Cao-Cao sighed as he finally realized what was happening. "So, he seeks a final conflict...seeking revenge for Sun Quan; I suspect his wife put him up to this. Whatever the reason, he has to know he cannot fully destroy us. Which just makes him all the more dangerous."

"He has a larger army now, more officers..." Guo Jia remarked. "But...If we fight him here, it will be the last battle, our victory against Liu Bei would allow us to secure Yi and finally unify the land."

Cao-Cao nodded in agreement and so it was decided. It was time for them to march, time for the final battle to begin and Cao-Cao couldn't help but reflect that, as he had always suspected, his final opponent for the land, was always going to be, Liu Bei.

* * *

End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.


	13. To End The Chaos

**Dynasty Warriors: Ambition and Temperance**

Chapter 13 of my Dynasty Warriors story, enjoy.

 **Reviews**

 **Wolfgirl2013: Thanks :)**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Dynasty Warriors and its characters belong to Koei.

* * *

 **To End The Chaos**

It was finally time; Cao-Cao reflected as he stood on the edge of his army's encampment. Before him, the large castle of Baidi loomed over him.

' _It is here Liu Bei will make his last stand...'_ He noted. _'It comes down to this; Liu Bei and all his followers have strengthened their defenses and are set for their final stand.'_

He always knew it would be like this; that it would come down to him and Liu Bei. But he never imagined this.

Shaking his head he turned and began to head for the commander's tent. Entering the tent he carefully observed his officers who had gathered for this battle. They all knew it was time, that this was the final battle, and all of them were tense, on edge, ready for the upcoming struggle. When he reached the top of the tent, Cai Wenji next to him, he turned and took a slow careful breath.

"This is it; we are at the precipice of change; this is the final battle." He announced. "We must win here, if we are to end the chaos and usher in a new era. But it will not be easy, Liu Bei and his forces are going to make this difficult for us."

Guo Jia stood up, nodding. "Yes indeed, there are three avenues to attack; all of them vigorously defended...We have no choice, we cannot leave ourselves vulnerable to attack."

"So our only course is to split the army into three and advance on each three paths." Xun Yu remarked.

Guo Jia nodded.

There was a lengthy pause as they all considered, then finally, after a lengthy time. They had set their plans and a decision was made.

"So be it..." Cao-Cao announced. "Cai Wenji, Guo Jia, Li Dian, Yue Jin, Cao Xiu, Man Chong, Xu Huang...you are with me, we will attack the center."

"Cao Pi and I will attack the right flank." Jia Xu commented. "Zhenji, Zhang He, Yu Jin, Wang Yi and Pang De will come with us."

Xun Yu finally spoke up. "Xun You; Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, Zhang Liao, Cao Ren, Xu Zhu, you're with me, we will attack the left side."

They all stood and bowed and Cao-Cao gave the word.

"Now, we attack Baidi castle, this is it, the final battle begins now!"

With a resounding cheer, the army began it's march, ready to end the chaos that had engulfed the land in this last battle.

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End of chapter, the stage is set for the final battle, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.


	14. Battle of Baidi Castle

**Dynasty Warriors: Ambition and Temperance**

Chapter 14 of my Dynasty Warriors story, enjoy.

 **Reviews**

 **Wolfgirl2013: Thanks, no I've already done that, remember.**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Dynasty Warriors and its characters belong to Koei.

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 **Battle of Baidi Castle**

Cao-Cao glowered as he prepared to lead the charge for battle; despite his efforts to maintain control over his land, he had noticed two defections of people to Shu. The two were officers that he had always had suspicions about, one for a long time and the other, only recently.

' _But they are both here, and they will both pay the price.'_ He thought angrily.

The whole part of the army he led, along with his most vital officers, made their way forwards, heading towards the main part of the battlefield, going directly towards the castle. Meanwhile The right and left flanks also advanced, all three forces wary as they advanced, knowing full well the enemy were desperate. Sure enough, as Cao-Cao led his forces onwards, he heard the call.

"Now, attack!"

Cai Wenji cried out first. "Quickly, my Lord!"

He reacted at once and fell back. Soon they were all stuck, pinned down by a host of arbalests and ballistae.

"There they are, our enemies." Guo Jia pointed out.

Looking up, Cao-Cao saw them. Standing by the siege weapons were Zhuge Liang and a woman who was likely his wife, Yueying and with Lu Xun of Wu.

"So, they are the cause of this, we need to get past these weapons if we're to stop them."

But he knew it wouldn't be that simple.

Meanwhile, on the right flank Jia Xu and Cao Pi led their allies onwards.

"Any ideas what they'll be planning, Jia Xu?" Cao Pi asked.

Jia Xu shrugged. "It's sadly obvious, backed into a corner like this, they are desperate and not acting to their full potential...so they likely have an ambush planned."  
Sure enough, as he had said that, the supposedly empty ships were revealed to be hiding troops and amongst them, several Shu officers who quickly surrounded the Wei forces.

"You're right, an ambush...but not your typical one." the Shu strategist, Fa Zheng, remarked.

It was then they realized just who was leading the forces surrounding them. Zhou Cang, Pang Tong, Huang Zhong, Zhu Ran, the traitor Xu Shu and finally, Zhao Yun. Meanwhile, the left flank was advancing towards their goal, but then Xun Yu called for them to stop.

"I don't like this...too many opportunities for the enemy...so, let's turn it on its head." He remarked. "They certainly have an ambush in mind, so let's turn it to our advantage."

With that they split the army in two and Xu Zhu, Cao Ren and Zhang Liao led their forces onwards, while Xun Yu, Xun You, Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan led their forces around a bypath to strike the enemy from behind.

Sure enough, at that moment, the ambush was launched. The children of Guan Yu, his sons, Ping, Xing and Suo, his daughter, Yinping and Suo's wife, Bao Sanniang struck first, clashing with the Wei army almost instantly, then Ma Chao and Ma Dai launched their attack, it was clear the conflict, while only just starting, had escalated incredibly.

Sure enough, Cao-Cao's forces found themselves not only blocked by the weapons, but also suddenly under attack. Liu Shan, Xingcai, Zhang Bao, Meng Huo, Zhurong and the other traitor, Jiang Wei, launched their ambush.

"Argh, curses, they intend to force us into range of the weapons."

"We can overcome this my lord." Guo Jia called. "First we must defeat these enemies here. Li Dian, Yue Jin, Cao Xiu, Man Chong, Xu Huang, quickly."

They raised their weapons and hurried to meet the attacking force. Cao-Cao wasn't going to take this lying down, he, Cai Wenji and Guo Jia joined the attack and fought desperately, meanwhile, Guo Jia called in the catapults to advance from the main camp and begin bombardment.

"Now, quickly, we must show no mercy!"

With that shout the attack grew more vicious and, the bombardment fiercer. In the end those attacking them were killed.

"A pitiful waste." Cao-Cao remarked sadly. "But quickly, we must finish this!"

They all agreed and charged on, the bombardment stopped just in time for this attack and Cao-Cao's forces soon overwhelmed the defenders and, after being forced to kill them when they wouldn't give up, they were forced to charge onwards again, intent on finishing the battle.

Readying themselves for battle, Jia Xu, Cao Pi, Zhenji, Zhang He and Pang De rallied to defend themselves from the attackers.

"Why don't you just surrender already!" Zhou Cang taunted.

Huang Zhong took aim with his bow. "Any last words?"

Jia Xu shook his head. "Zhang He, did you send the signal?"

"But of course, and now, the glorious finale!"

As he said that, the Shu forces were taken aback by a fleet of Wei ships suddenly appearing, led by Wang Yi and Yu Jin and soon the Shu forces themselves were surrounded and soon they were fighting back, desperately pushing the enemy until, in the end, despite trying to force a surrender, the Wei forces had to kill the attacking Shu forces and were forced to charge onwards, lamenting the waste of so much life.

Likewise, the left flank were defending against the attack against them when Xun Yu and his men launched their ambush, taking the enemy by surprise and again, a slaughter ensured.

"There is no need for this, just surrender and..." Xun Yu began.

But was cut off as yet another attack came. Seeing the enemy was desperate and unwilling to surrender, they Wei forces fought back and soon they had once again recovered their forces and charged onwards again; leaving behind the sad deaths of their honourable opponents behind them.

The Wei army reunited as they surrounded the main castle; three people stood outside with their forces.

"This is as far as you're going!" Sun Shangxiang growled.

Guan Yu raised his weapon. "You have slaughtered our people, you will pay with your lives."

Zhang Fei roared. "Now, get ready to die..."

"Enough!" Cao-Cao cried.

Silence fell over everyone as he stepped forwards and planted his blade in the ground.

"Hasn't enough blood been spilled. Everyone who sided with you...except those people here are dead...The land was on the verge of being united, being stronger than it ever was...being at peace!" He called out. "Yet out of misguided emotion, you would shatter that, and for what!?"

Zhang Fei snarled but before he, or anyone else could reply, Cao-Cao continued, revealing who he had been talking too

"Was it all worth it, Liu Bei?"

Liu Bei's response was not heard by Cao-Cao, but after sharing quick words with their troops who swiftly surrendered, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and Shangxiang all hurried into the castle, which then closed it's doors tight.

"My Lord, they..."

Cao-Cao sighed sadly. "I know. Everyone, this battle is over, do not continue the attack; there is nothing more we can do...Let us instead focus, on providing what aid we can."

With that he turned away sadly and began to walk back to the main camp, as Baidi castle erupted in flames behind him.

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End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.


	15. Epilogue

**Dynasty Warriors: Ambition and Temperance**

Chapter 15 of my Dynasty Warriors story, a short little epilogue to finally finish things off, enjoy.

 **Reviews**

 **Wolfgirl2013: Thanks :)  
Shadow390: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it; it was a real nightmare to type but it worked :) That was exactly the point in Cao-Cao making that speech, it should also show how Cai Wenji has changed him too? Not much really, just this :)  
**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Dynasty Warriors and its characters belong to Koei.

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 **Epilogue**

Cao-Cao let out a soft sigh as he lay in his bed; Cai Wenji lay next to him, their naked bodies pressed up against one another as they held each other close. Two years, it had been two years since the Battle at Baidi Castle; since Cao-Cao's greatest enemy perished along with those closest to him. It had taken some doing but slowly and surely, Yi Province was brought under control, order was restored and finally, the land was united.

' _Peace has returned at last, the Emperor has gained his strength and rules fairly...and carefully.'_ Cao-Cao noted. _'At last, the chaos ends, and we can enjoy our world of peace.'_

As he thought that, he looked down, happily, at Cai Wenji as she slept soundly, holding him, he tightened his grip slightly and let himself drift off too, relieved that, after so long, the fighting was over at last.

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End of chapter and of story, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.


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